House, M.D.: Season Three
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Movie Reviews of House, M.D.: Season Three
Movie Review: Is There a Doctor in the House? You Bet!
Summary: 5 Stars
What can be said about a series that must certainly be ranked as one of the most compelling to have ever appeared on television? It is easy to view the slew of awards that House, M.D. has been nominated for (and won), to recall the litany of accolades the show has garnered from news, entertainment, and magazine critics, and even to review the endless series of online postings concerning the show (like this very one, here, on Amazon), and conclude that, "Yes, House, M.D. is probably a good show." But in fact, House, M.D. is more than a good show. For many viewers, the series is easily one of the most fascinating and unusual to have ever been aired on television. Moreover, and dare I say it, the series will likely eventually be ranked amongst the top television shows ever produced on network television.
But before I say any more about House, MD., let me briefly for the reader summarize the show. House, M.D. is a medical drama that takes place at a fictional teaching hospital ("Princeton-Plainsborough Hospital"). The story revolves around a particular doctor, Dr. Gregory House, an individual who has established himself as a medical genius able to solve difficult medical mysteries that other doctors have been unable to solve. Dr. House works with a small group of internists who are serving in residence under him, and who, despite their much less experience, actively work with House to solve medical problems through a technique called a "Differential Diagnosis," a kind of group-based brainstorming session where diagnostic ideas are presented, written on a white board, and systematically eliminated by comparing each hypothesis with the ongoing list of patient symptoms. But Dr. House is more than just a diagnostic genius: he possesses a debilitating leg injury that keeps him in perpetual pain, and he regularly uses powerful prescription painkillers to the point where there is genuine concern that he may, in fact, be a pain medicine addict. But there's more. Along with his genius, House has an incredibly insensitive and offensive demeanor, and seemingly has no concern for social norms, courtesies, or sometimes, even common decency. His unparalleled genius at helping patients is probably what keeps him employed in spite of his incredibly ongoing offensive behavior.
What makes this show so compelling, so unique, and so interesting? There is probably no one answer to this question. At the core of it is likely House himself, a character who is fundamentally a contradiction, a walking incongruity, a person that we desperately and increasingly wish to understand, and perhaps, even wish to control to correct his unacceptable behavior. We find ourselves watching this man and so strongly wishing that we can figure him out, to come to a true understanding and belief about him, to solve the mystery of who he really is, and by that knowledge, settle the manifold open questions surrounding him and his relationships to others that each episode more fully presents.
Unfortunately, or should I rather say, "fortunately," such an understanding is not easily developed. The complexities, ambiguities, and open questions surrounding the character of House come tantalizingly close to being solved time after time, only to be later shown that what we thought was the answer to this man was really just another false lead, another misunderstanding, another fact to add into this increasingly difficult puzzle. Part of the show's allure is this ongoing dissonance, not only between House and his coworkers, but deeply within House himself. Is he truly an uncaring person? Is he truly a person who views his entire medical career as simply a series of puzzles to be solved, and where people who recover are simply a side effect of the solved puzzle? Does he really look at every social, religious, or ethnic factor as a legitimate target of derision? Is he truly hostile to people's religious convictions? Does he truly believe that his drug addiction is an irrelevant issue to his work? Each episode faces us with House's reaction to these questions to varying degrees, and over time, we may find that we build an increasing understanding of this man, but we often find those understandings torn apart in a later episode, where new observations on House make us rethink what we think we knew.
In spite of House's problems and deficiencies, we often find him an imminently likeable character, and we often see hints of goodness in him that he desperately tries to keep hidden from others. Often, it is hinted in the subtilest of ways that House himself wishes to hide from others the fact that he truly does care, but this hint is just as quickly dashed as we witness his next immature toy kicking. (It can sometimes seem that House is more of a four year old in a nursery who is testing his fellow nursery members for territorial markers. In other cases, he is the genius child who seeks to use others as fodder for his most recent theories on human and animal behavior.)
House, M.D., if the truth be known, does not start out in Season One as a soap opera, but by Season Five for the series run, I think a defensible case can be made that the show takes on many of the trappings of a soap opera, curiously and ironically enough, mirroring the very soap operas that the character House in the show is seen so frequently watching (often, on an old, 1990's style portable television located in his office). This morphing into the arena of the soap opera doesn't really matter, though, for the viewer who has gone through the entire set of previous episodes in order. With no attempt to defend this shift in style, the show uses its first three seasons to genuinely establish itself as a puzzle solving, medical mystery show, with House serving as a medical Sherlock Holmes (sans the hat and the pipe, but plus the strange personality and temperament issues), and the stories are easily carried with each individual episode standing as a mental gymnastic exercise that keeps the viewer wanting more. But strewn through these episodes are myriads of strange, and often, very awkward character interactions that are left unfinished and unexplored, tantalizing us with seeming keys to unlock the mystery of House. It is perhaps inevitable that a show lasting so many years (now in its sixth season) and having such strong characters and unusual trappings would be inevitably drawn to revisit and examine such unfinished business. These "explorations" begin to occur more repeatedly in Season Four, and by Season Five, we see the exaggeration of much of this at the expense of series' original, focal point of medical mysteries to be resolved, which by this point in the series often take back seat to the ever growing personal dramas. But even this doesn't matter. The issues and themes explored in Season Five, while taking on the feeling of a soap opera, are still handled with great expertise and generally fascinating ways, so that we still find ourselves focused on each event, all the time still (unconsciously at times, I must admit) wishing that we can figure House out, get the mystery of House solved, and have some type of a resolution that fits our conception of the real world. By the end of Season Five, we still do not have an answer for this dilemma, and the show uses this dilemma to hold the audience's attention in a powerful manner.
The basic premise of the show is so startling unique and fascinating in its own right that the show does not need to rely on cheap "shock" tricks to maintain attention. It is true that there are a number of "shocking" events to occur through the series, and there can be no doubt that the show, being first and foremost a network based television format production, employs "cliffhangers" to hold the viewer through the regular commercial breaks, but it is amazing to see how the show is regularly worked into individual episodes that are artfully crafted into stories that flow, and work, from beginning to end.
Quite some time ago, I wrote a long review for The Rockford Files, a television show in the 1970's that, in my own thinking, achieved the status as being one of the best television shows ever produced. I had written my review at a time when the first Rockford Files DVD's were being released, and the opportunity to re-watch these shows reminded me again of the superior writing, the acting, and the impressive interworking of the cast which made this show, not just a cut above the average television show, but a true classic, one that could almost not be challenged in the realm of television. I still feel that way about The Rockford Files, and, truth be known, another very different show from a decade earlier, The Dick Van Dyke Show, had many of these same characteristics, all coalescing to make what eventual became in both cases a classic production. The Rockford Files and The Dick Van Dyke Show reached such pinnacles of performance that they remain examples of the very best television ever made, and even the ravages of 30 and 40 years of time have done little but solidify that achievement.
House, M.D. is, in my opinion, is likely destined for that same level of accolade. In the show, we find that same coalescing of features - a truly unique character creation, excellent writing, and a cast that works well together - that will argue for the show's inclusion in that highest level of ranking. But whether that specific claim turns out to be true or not, the fact remains that House, M.D. is one of the most fascinating, intriguing, and enjoyable shows to watch. We witness medical problems and the difficult procedure in diagnosing and treating those problems; we witness the struggles, oddities, and offensiveness (and yes, there are many parts of the show that are incredibly offensive) of a main character who remains both a genius and an enigma, an inscrutable person who is endlessly fascinating to behold; we witness a cast of actors who must earn to interact with the powerful character of House while establishing their own credibility; and finally, but not least of all, we enjoy Hugh Laurie's incredible rendition of the House character. Add these factors up, and you end up with one heck of a fascinating show. I'll say it in conclusion again, that this is one of the best television shows to have appeared in years, and Hugh Laurie is superb in his role as House. You can enjoy it even more on DVD, where there are no commercial interruptions. I rate this as five stars, but the real truth is that it is one BIG star (House) with four other stars with him. Well, make that seven or eight other stars, depending on the season you are currently watching.
Movie Review: A first-rate comedic drama
Summary: 5 Stars
I was late in coming to "House", as I'm not much of a fan of medical shows or contemporary procedurals, and these were the angles most emphasized by the early ads. Still, some family members were big into the show for years, and they finally wore me down this past summer. Now that I've watched every episode at least once . . . well, I'm still not much of a fan of medical shows, but it turns out that the medical mysteries are only a small part of the appeal, and work mainly to give a focus for the character- and humor-driven material. Yes, "House" is a medical drama, and it's every bit as formulaic as it appeared. Still, this is one of the most intelligently written, not to mention funniest, shows on TV, and they inevitably find ways to color this template in surprising and even moving ways.
Though the first three seasons of House are very similar, Season 3 is probably the strongest of them, now that the characters are fully developed and the individual performances finely honed. At the heart of the show is Hugh Laurie's House, and so much has been written in praise of him that it's hard to add anything else without delving into cliché. Simply put, he's one of the most entertaining, fascinating figures you'll find in a TV show. I view him as something of a nerd icon: though we nerds are generally not geniuses nor are we necessarily interested in medicine, House provides an extreme version of the nerd personality: someone who is more interested in things and abstract ideas than in the people surrounding him, and who doesn't have patience for superficial social graces. Even better, House is, indeed, a genius and possesses an incredibly caustic wit, two other traits any self-respecting nerd must long for. (He also finds hot women inexplicably drawn to him from time to time, which, while not terribly plausible, also fulfills obvious nerd wish fulfillment.)
House is no mere one man show, however. The far more human and empathetic oncologist Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) is House's best friend and foil, and it's to the show's credit that he proves as intriguing as House, despite displaying a radically different personality. Beyond them we have Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), the dean of medicine and House's nemesis/secret love interest, and House's three younger fellows, Foreman (Omar Epps), Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) and Chase (Jesse Spencer). Cuddy initially functions primarily as a sparring partner for House, but here she's given greater depth, particularly in her attempts to become a mother. One relative weakness of the show is the slight thinness of House's fellows (a fact well-illustrated in Airborne: "You disagree with everything I say, you agree with everything I say, you be morally outraged by everything I do.") Still, Epps, Morrison and Spencer give considered and nuanced performances that bring the sometimes underwritten figures to life. Chase is probably the most conventionally likable of them, and serves as a much more handsome stand-in for the nerd audience i.e. he admires House and wants to be like him/impress him. (Also, Chase's fabulous hair and powerful jaw has been known to give even the most staunchly heterosexual of male viewers a slight case of the vapours. I can only imagine what he does to women. . .) Foreman is harder to like, though he's probably the most complicated of the fellows; he's a former delinquent kid from the street who is endlessly determined to be the best, but fears the moral compromises and inhumanity sometimes necessary to get the job done. Finally we have the controversial Cameron, the quintessentially caring and emotional (not to mention gorgeous) female doctor who becomes to personally involved all too often. Lots of people (women) dislike her (bitter old hags, no doubt), but she's ultimately a necessary figure, since she provides the polar opposite of House, even more so than Wilson does. (This matters cause it's quite a philosophical show, and must represent a wide cross-section of viewpoints.) Anyway, regardless of what others think _I_ like her. (In fact, I like her more than it is either rational or wise to like a fictional character. . .)
Since the show is so driven by dialogue and character, the individual episodes don't necessarily stand out as much as they would in more plot-driven shows. Still, there are more than a few particularly noteworthy efforts. "One Day, One Room" is probably the best episode of the season, a non-formula one where House is coerced into counseling a rape victim. This is a particularly philosophical episode, which I always like, and I'm impressed by how, despite being a generally misanthropic show, "House" manages to give a fair hearing for less bleak worldviews. "Insensitive" is another strong one, largely due to the comic subplot where House repeatedly disrupts Cuddy's date. (Possibly House's best line ever: (to Cuddy's date) "You must've meet online . . . that or else you have a friend who secretly hates you.") There's also "Son of a Coma Guy," where House awakens a vegetative patient (brilliantly played by John Larroquette) to help cure his dying son. (At its best, House is a great mixture of humor and pathos, and few episodes do that better than "Son of. . .") On the downside, the season has a rather humdrum finale, particularly when compared to the conclusions. Still, this is partially redeemed by the excellent multi-episode plot arc where the vengeful Det. Tritter (David Morse) tries to bring House down on drug charges. Morse gives a great turn as Tritter, who proves ever bit as obsessive and driven as House, and the general events does much to strain House's other relations, which is, again, always the heart of the show.
"House" underwent a somewhat substantial revamping after this season and, as much as I enjoy Season 3, this probably isn't a bad thing. While the last season and a half haven't been quite as good as the strongest earlier material, they managed to preemptively stave off any staleness that would've emerged sooner or later. Whatever the case, the material we have is very good, and anyone who is interested in a funny, intelligent but surprisingly human show would be wise to check this out. (Though you should start at the beginning, of course.)
Movie Review: House, M.D. - Season Three
Summary: 5 Stars
That incredibly crabby doctor with the serious leg pain is back for the third season of the acclaimed medical series "House, M.D." And once again Hugh Laurie and company came up with another winner of a season, although in my opinion it was just a tad notch below the first two seasons. Still, "House" season three is still very much worth watching.
Laurie once again dominates season three as he did with seasons one and two, and come Emmy time he better be rewarded! (He's already won two Golden Globes and one Screen Actors Guild award for his portrayal of Dr. House.) Being snubbed for a nomination for season two was a crime! His performances throughout season three was probably some of the best acting that Laurie has done on the show so far, thanks in part to one major storyline early in the season. David Morse was introduced in the fifth episode as Detective Tritter, a cop who comes to the hospital as a patient. Guess which doctor he ends up getting? Before you know it, Dr. House starts off by treating him rude, and if that's not bad enough, pops Vicodin right in front of him. Later on, he arrests Dr. House for possession of drugs, and thereafter tries in every way to make the cranky doc's life miserable (such as when Dr. House has to go for days without Vicodin and ends up in rehab). In addition, these turn of events also put a disturbing effect on his team, as the cop pressures each team member to give him some answers about their boss. This was a very strong storyline, and Morse was excellent in the role of the ticked off cop.
Sure "House" is the Hugh Laurie show, but lets not forget about the superb supporting cast: Lisa Edelstein as hospital administrator Lisa Cuddy; Omar Epps as neurologist Eric Foreman; Robert Sean Leonard as oncology specialist James Wilson; Jennifer Morrison as immunologist Allison Cameron; and Jesse Spencer as intensive-care specialist Robert Chase are all back for season three, and they're better than ever. For all three seasons these actors are given plenty to do in support of Laurie, and each of them does a great job playing off not only Laurie but each other. This is thanks to some terrific writing by creator David Shore and his writing team. They not only make this show compelling but smart as well. My favorite episode from season three is the one titled "Airborne", where House and Cuddy board a plane departing Malaysia that soon becomes a hospital ward when several passengers become seriously ill (including Cuddy); while back at Princeton-Plainsboro Wilson, Chase, Cameron, and Foreman try to solve a medical mystery on their own. This is a great episode, maybe the best overall episode of the show so far. It's not only thrilling and dramatic, but funny and shocking as well. Other great episodes include the second episode "Cane and Able", in which House and his team try to figure out why a 7 year old boy thinks he's being tortured by aliens, and the next-to-last episode "The Jerk", in which Dr. House meets his match with his latest patient: a teenage chess player with an arrogant attitude that's even worse than House's.
Despite this show's greatness, I had a few quibbles on the third season of "House". One season three episode didn't work for me (episode #12 - "One Day, One Room"). I found this episode kind of dull and not all that interesting. It's not real bad, but I just didn't seem to care about it all that much, which makes it the weakest episode of "House" so far. One minor storyline that was also kind of silly was the sexual hook-ups between Chase and Cameron, which featured them getting down and dirty in the hospital, in a patient's house, etc. And it was only for fun. Chase wants a relationship, but Cameron doesn't. This really isn't smart writing on the part of the writing team on "House". I think it was only thrown in their due to the real-life engagement of the actors who play Chase and Cameron (Jesse Spencer and Jennifer Morrison got engaged midway through season three). But in all fairness, I think this storyline would have worked better if the writers had done exactly what Chase wanted: let them have a relationship. These actors do look great together. I think a serious relationship storyline between Chase and Cameron would be awesome. Perhaps that might come later.
Familiar faces who show up for guest appearances during season three include: John Larroquette ("Night Court"), Kathleen Quinlan ("Apollo 13"), Joel Grey ("Cabaret"), Charles S. Dutton ("The Piano Lesson"), Piper Perabo ("Coyote Ugly"), Kurtwood Smith ("That `70s Show"), and pop star Dave Matthews.
The final episode of season three apparently will be opening the door for changes when season four debuts in the fall, as House lost his entire team (Foreman and Cameron resigned; Chase fired). I'm hoping that this will not be the end for some members of this great ensemble cast. I love this cast on "House", and if any one of these cast members leave the show or end up being let go, I will be very saddened by it. But this is the show's big cliffhanger for the summer. We'll eventually find out what will happen when season four returns this fall. And my fingers are crossed that all these cast members return.
Movie Review: One of the best shows around!
Summary: 5 Stars
Even if you've never seen a single episode of House, chances are you've heard about the cranky doctor that's made this show such a hit...
Played by Hugh Laurie, Dr. Gregory House is a brilliant misanthrope who operates by no one's rules but his own. He's also in chronic pain, limping on a cane with flames painted along the side and popping huge numbers of Vicodin, even in front of patients. While he's pushed away most of humanity, he's fortune enough to have a best friend, the long-suffering Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) as well as the support of the hospital's Dean of Medicine Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein). Despite almost daily clashes with the two, House knows he can count on them to back him up when he needs it.
House's team of fellows include Drs. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer) and Eric Foreman (Omar Epps). Enduring regular emotional -- and sometimes physical -- abuse from their boss, the three will quickly say that they are only putting up with House in order to gain valuable experience to further their careers. But it's also apparent that after more than three years under his wing, each young doctor has grown to respect and care for House, who occasionally lets them see his damaged and human side.
As Season 2 ended with House being shot by the crazed husband of a former patient, Season 3 begins with his returning to work, presumably after taking the summer off to recuperate. House -- and everyone who knows him -- is thrilled to see that the ketamine used to help him through surgery continues to help him walk well and without pain. But will it last?
A plot arc involving Michael Tritter, a detective who swears to ruin House after the latter humiliates him in the hospital clinic, runs through several episodes. The detective's goal is to prove House is dangerous to patients because of his Vicodin addiction, and thus needs to have his license taken away. Many fans -- including myself -- felt this arc was poorly done, and did not contribute to the season's overall story growth.
Other memorable episodes include "One Day, One Room," where a rape victim inexplicably latches onto House, causing him to reveal some troubling details about his own past; "Half Wit," where House claims to have brain cancer while he and team treat a damaged musical prodigy played by Dave Matthews; and "Top Secret," where Chase and Cameron embark upon a complicated new relationship.
Overall, the format of this show may seem too set or predictable; each episode, the team treats an unusual Patient of the Week, while dealing with side issues involving their own lives. Yet with the show's fantastic writing, this never happens. Rarely is anything predictable -- and as Dr. House is fond of saying, "Everybody lies," so you can never tell what someone may be hiding until the very last minute. Each episode is enjoyable in its own way.
As for this box set, it's handsomely packaged. It includes a few extras, like behind-the-scenes with the medical props people and some bloopers (which are mostly just instances where the actors started to say their lines and burst out laughing, nothing truly "blooper-worthy," in my opinion). If you look forward to the extras on DVD sets, this probably won't be your favorite.
Movie Review: Take Sherlock Holmes, a hospital...and a whole lot of attitude
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't really get a chance to watch much episodic television (when the good stuff is on, I'm either already asleep or have gone out somewhere for the evening) - but being a fan of Hugh Laurie, I knew I would love House. I finally had a chance to watch an episode - while recovering from the flu! - and it confirmed that I HAD to keep watching. I immediately bought all available box sets and set out to watch about three or four episodes a night.
Dr. Gregory House is brilliant and truly does not give a tinker's dam what people think. The things with which he gets away - what he says to his colleagues, patients, and superiors - are a vicarious treat. Who wouldn't want to say a lot of what House acerbically delivers in each and every episode?!
What is so compelling about his character is his total unwillingness to bend, whether it is his methodologies or his opinions. Here is a character that - in any other situation - would be one that you KNOW would be set up to metamorphose in some way; perhaps the "bully" becomes a kinder, gentler person by episode's end.
Not the case with House. He is everything contrary to what we perceive to be characteristic of a "hero"; he's a bitter, Vicodin-addicted misanthrope, whose interest in his patients is solely for the medical puzzle they present. On the rare occasions that he appears to connect with a patient, it is always within HIS own parameters.
But you wouldn't want him to change. That's what keeps him strangely likeable and believable; he's a damaged person (his leg injury is really secondary) and is what he is, take it or leave it. He doesn't actually like many people at all - he won't even meet his own patients unless he absolutely HAS to; even though he's a genius diagnostician, he's horrible at relating to people.
We find ourselves alternately cheering his successful unorthodox actions or aghast at his crude insensitivity, and we keep watching! The medical jargon, while complicated at times, never makes the audience feel left out; explanations are skillfully woven into the dialogue before you have a chance to scratch your head in confusion - and without slowing the pace.
This is a highly recommended medical drama with enough suspense and mystery to keep you involved. But if you haven't seen seasons one and two, you would be missing out on some intense character background and stories.
Differential diagnosis, people! Go!
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This review is also listed for: House, M.D. - Seasons One & Two